The Moon Glows the Same (Poem Summary)

Poem Summary

Line 1

In his poetry, Bashō was fond of comparing dissimilar aspects of nature. Initially, “The Moon Glows the Same” does not seem to fit this pattern, but on a closer reading we can see that Bashō is not only comparing the moon to the clouds, but he is also contrasting the unchanging to the temporal. In the first line, Bashō makes a bold but seemingly obvious statement: the moon glows the same throughout the night.

Lines 2-3

In lines two and three, Bashō clarifies the meaning of the statement from line one. The clouds drifting across the night sky pass between the watcher and the moon, causing the moon to appear to change in shape and color. While the observer is gazing at the night sky, the moon’s appearance is actually constant and only the clouds change. Bashō seems to be implying that there are aspects of life that are also unchanging and constant, like the light of the moon. However, they may appear to be transformed through their relationship with transient events and objects.

Media Adaptations

• An audiocassette titled The Poetry of Matsuo Bashō was released by the Australia Broadcast Co. in 1977.
• Richard Wernick produced a record album called Haiku of Bashō: Moonsongs from the Japanese that was released by CRI in 1997.
• Bashō: A Celebration, a videocassette, is available from Gustavus Adolphus College Media Services, in St. Peter, Minnesota.
• Lyceum Productions released a filmstrip titled Inscape: The Realm of Haiku in 1976.